WORLDVIEW: Important life lessons flowing from the news of two who passed on

By Alec Hogg.Sometimes we need to pause for a moment. Reflection is the best teacher. Without it we are bound to miss important messages. And become fated to continue in an endless loop of useless thoughts and the senseless actions that invariably follow..___STEADY_PAYWALL___.I learnt this half a lifetime ago from one of the best books ever written. Among the findings which stirred Stephen Covey to write his life-changing Seven Habits of Highly Effective People was the realisation of how "success" had become distorted in our modern era..Time and again he would counsel high profile CEOs who seemed to have it all, but in reality had nothing that mattered. These titans of commerce and industry invariably confided in Covey that their personal lives were a disaster – broken marriages, estranged children, false friends – against which their worldly possessions were worthless..I have been musing on this after reflecting on two deaths. The first was the tragic passing of Andrew Canter's two years and four month old Nathaniel. I've gotten to know the Futuregrowth CIO pretty well over the years, and admire his professional integrity and forthright approach. It occasionally gets him into trouble, but that goes with the territory for a man with his admirable qualities. He is also a true mensch..Canter and his wife Jane celebrated their little fellow's passing by writing blogs, sharing eulogies and videos – and even creating Natey's own Facebook page. It was a true celebration of his short life, and a cathartic approach to the tragedy which will forever change them. A powerful reminder to cherish those close to you, because life is uncertain..The second was my pal Barry Sergeant who passed away on his Eastern Free State farm on Sunday. We were close colleagues and confidants for many years and worked together for around half our careers. He, like Canter, was a man of great integrity, always fighting for justice, for what he believed to be right..During my semi-sabbatical from Moneyweb, Barry broke one of our iron-clad rules that before publishing controversial articles they had to first be sent back for comment to the person or organisation under fire. I was on the farm; he was in Johannesburg and something got lost in translation. Despite the fact that he was right all along, the upshot was Barry negotiated a reasonable settlement with the management team and left the company..A few months later, I called Barry to apologise. We both knew that had I not been away, things would have worked out differently. That got our relationship back on an even keel, and after that awkward reconciliation, we broke bread, spoke on the phone and I even got to interview him for Biznews. On hearing of his passing, I was eternally grateful for that..It reinforced the lesson of never putting off until tomorrow what you might be able to fix today. Relationships tend to hit rocky patches every now and then. But they are often opportunities to re-engage. Thanks Barry. Rest In Peace my friend.

WORLDVIEW: Important life lessons flowing from the news of two who passed on

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